Frederic
Dias

University College of Dublin
July 16th 2pm in room 2155

Abstract:
The Northeast Atlantic possesses some of the
highest wave energy levels in the world. The recent years have
witnessed a renewed interest in harnessing this vast energy potential.
Due to the complicated geomorphology of the Irish coast, there can be a
significant variation in both the wave and wind climate. Long-term
hindcasts with high spatial resolution, properly calibrated against
available measurements, provide vital information for future
deployments of ocean renewable energy installations. These can aid in
the selection of adequate locations for potential deployment and for
the planning and design of those marine operations. A 34-year (from
1979 to 2012), high-resolution wave hindcast was performed for Ireland
including both the Atlantic and Irish Sea coasts, with a particular
focus on the wave energy resource. The wave climate was estimated using
the third-generation spectral wave model WAVEWATCH III version 4.11,
the unstructured grid formulation. The wave model was forced with
directional wave spectral data and 10-m winds from the European Centre
for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA-Interim reanalysis,
which is available from 1979 to the present. The model was validated
against available observed satellite altimeter and buoy data,
particularly in the nearshore, and was found to be excellent. A strong
spatial and seasonal variability was found for both significant wave
heights, and the wave energy flux, particularly on the north and west
coasts. A strong correlation between the North Atlantic Oscillation
(NAO) teleconnection pattern and wave heights, wave periods, and peak
direction in winter and also, to a lesser extent, in spring was
identified.